5 takeaways from the Academy Award nominations

Good for you, Demi. No Super/Man doc nomination? Let's discuss.

Every year, the Academy Award nominations are announced and most of what you hear about are the movies and creators who weren’t nominated. The appreciation for those who reached the final stages of the Oscars’ postseason race can be lost in the shuffle. While there are a few omissions from the master list, there were a lot of nice surprises.

Here are a few reactions, including one of the most surefire bets on Oscar night.

DEMI BELONGS

Ladies and gents, she’s officially not a “popcorn actress,” as some dumbfounded Hollywood executive labeled her decades ago. Granted, she could open a film like G.I. Jane and have the whole world looking at her--but she’s more than that, and The Substance proved it. Thanks to writer/director Coralie Fargeat, who was also nominated, Moore finally received that go-for-broke, awards-heat role and didn’t miss a beat.

Whether she was covered in prosthetics or in agony over a career that had lost its air and life, Moore shined big time and drove a trippy concept home with the feeling and sincerity attached to her performance. She’s the closest thing to a sure thing in March for the Academy Award gamblers.

GOOD FOR YOU, YURI

Mikey Madison was the force of nature engine that powered Anora but dishes some credit to Yuri Borisov. As the unfortunate henchman for the son of a Russian oligarch who has to keep an eye on Madison’s live wire after she marries the prodigal son in a Vegas wedding. Borisov made something out of a role that other actors may have let pass them by; he knows how to make a stare count. When you’re dancing with someone like Madison for over two hours with minimal dialogue, a little restraint goes a long way.

When the relationship between Ani and Igor heads into unexpected territory in the third act, the emotion is earned since Borisov gave that character some texture.

EMILIA PEREZ SHOULDN’T BE MISSED

Every season, a big film or two slips by my grasp during voting time. A big reason why I stepped down from awards film voting-I resigned from the St. Louis Film Critics Association last month and moved to associate member status with the Critics Choice Awards-is due to the fact that some movies can’t be viewed before the voting cutoff. For me, there isn’t enough time. Under-appreciating someone like Zoe Saldana just can’t happen, though.

The musical/thriller genre hybrid stars Saldana (sizzling in Lioness), Selena Gomez, and Edgar Ramirez in a story about a Mexican lawyer helping a retiring mob boss settle into regular life. Directed by Jacques Audiard and streaming on Netflix, the 130 minute film will be viewed before the March 2 telecast. Emilia Perez led all films this year with 13 nominations.

SUPER/MAN OMISSION IS DISAPPOINTING

While it won the Critics Choice Documentary Award, the extremely well-received documentary about Christopher Reeve’s life and fight following a near-fatal fall off a horse that destroyed his spine. With interviews from his kids and a big subplot about his deep friendship with the late Robin Williams, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a powerful and emotional juggernaut for an 80s baby. Reeve was the first Superman to me, and his fall and rise tale is inspiring.

The documentary received a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and scored well with anyone who watched, so I wonder how it was beat out for a slot. As someone who didn’t view the other nominees, it’s like shooting from the hip with a half-loaded pistol to complain about a movie not climbing over the others. Bias seeps in somewhere. I wasn’t the only one who adored the movie, though. We could all use a little hope right now.

BRING IT HOME, DOMINGO

Without an ounce of extra makeup or vocal enhancement, Colman Domingo broke your heart in Sing Sing as a wrongfully imprisoned man who breathes life back into his soul by helping recreate famous plays with fellow inmates in a prison theater program. The Shawshank Redemption vibes are real and the film packs such a big punch early on and near the end. Most of the cast members are real inmates from the Sing Sing prison who participated in the plays.

It’s Domingo who stands out in a great ensemble. As Divine G, a well-respected but quietly aching man who keeps getting denied by the parole board, he reinvigorates you with his performance. The smallest things he does resonate easily, culminating in a final scene that should pull some tears from your ducts.

With all due respect to the other nominees, it should be Colman’s award to lose.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the rest of your evening. A full list of nominees is right here.